Food irradiation
Irradiación de alimentos
- Date
- 1921 · confidence medium
- Place
- Washington, D.C., United States
- Credited to
- Benjamin Schwartz (US Department of Agriculture)
- Field
- Life & health
What it is
Schwartz showed that X-rays kill Trichinella larvae in pork. Ionising radiation was later applied to spices, fruit, meat and cereals to destroy microbes and pests without cooking them.
There were earlier proposals and patents (1905, Appleby and Banks in the United Kingdom) and mass use stems from post-war programmes. The chosen date is that of Schwartz's experimental demonstration.
What it led to
- the 'Atoms for Peace' food programme (1950s)
- irradiation of spices and export fruit
- Codex Alimentarius standards on irradiated food